The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 69

Time passed in an instant. Morning classes, lunch, and finally afternoon.

I headed to the main auditorium to take the Charity Holy Name re-election exam. Beside me were Gu Jun-hyeok and Jeong In-ah.

However, since Jeong In-ah wasn’t an examinee, she was simply accompanying us to the auditorium to see us off.

"Do well and come back! Contact me when it’s over."

When we reached the front of the main auditorium, Jeong In-ah waved her hand in greeting. I responded to her greeting by simply waving my hand without saying anything.

Gu Jun-hyeok looked back and forth between Jeong In-ah and me with a somewhat displeased expression.

"...Hey! Aren’t you going to cheer for me?"

"What, do I have to? You do well too, then."

"There’s no soul in your cheering, no soul. Put some soul into your cheering."

"Cheering with soul is a bit expensive. Give me 30,000 won and I’ll think about it."

"30,000 won? Ugh, get lost! Go away!"

While Jeong In-ah and Gu Jun-hyeok were bickering, I roughly counted the number of people gathered at the main auditorium.

Excluding the supervising teachers and kids who came to watch, roughly around 100 people. There were quite a few students from other classes besides the Charity class.

Strangely, the Charity Holy Name re-election exam was open for students from other classes to take as well.

Even those who already had Holy Names, such as Yeo Min-seo with the Holy Name of Kindness, Han Su-ryeon with the Holy Name of Temperance, or Seong Ha-yeon with the Holy Name of Purity, could take the exam.

In fact, Seong Ha-yeon was receiving her application receipt in front of the auditorium to take the exam, and I could see Yeo Min-seo and Han Su-ryeon walking side by side toward us from a distance.

"...What?"

Then I made eye contact with Han Su-ryeon. She pointed at me with her finger and said something to Yeo Min-seo, and Yeo Min-seo nodded with a meaningful expression.

I didn’t know exactly what they were talking about, but somehow it made me feel bad.

"What do you mean what? Why are you spacing out again today?"

At that moment, Gu Jun-hyeok pushed my shoulder lightly and asked. Jeong In-ah, who had been talking with Gu Jun-hyeok just moments ago, had disappeared somewhere.

"Looking for Jeong In-ah? She left. I think she got sulky because you weren’t paying attention to her."

"Ah, really?"

"Wow, look at that reaction. ’Ah, really?’ She got sulky because of you and you don’t even feel guilty."

Gu Jun-hyeok spoke as if scolding me somewhat. I could sense anger in his tone.

It was partly because I’d been absorbed in sorcery practice, and partly because I had too many things to worry about like Satan worshippers and such, so I’d been a bit neglectful of the people around me.

...But do I really have to pay attention? I was thinking that when.

"Examinees, please get your application receipts here! You can’t take the exam without an application receipt!"

A teacher’s sharp voice reached my ears through the chaos. Gu Jun-hyeok and I pushed through the crowd to get our application receipts.

"Write your class and name here. And please show your student ID."

We wrote our class and names on the roster as the teacher instructed, then showed our student IDs.

The teacher looked back and forth between the documents she was holding and our student IDs, frowning, then soon nodded and gave us our application receipts. The design of the application receipt was simple.

[Examinee Number 041666 - Charity Class Do Seon-woo]

It was written in black text on a white background like this, with no other phrases or decorations. Somehow it reminded me of Han Dae-ho’s business card and made me laugh.

"Oh. 666."

Gu Jun-hyeok, looking at my application receipt, was impressed. Come to think of it, the last three digits of my examinee number were 666.

"Of all things, 666. How ominous."

"It’s actually good. Think of it as warding off bad luck."

"Warding off bad luck?"

Does the Romanica religion have a concept of warding off bad luck? Voodoo has a similar concept, but I’m not well-versed in Romanica religious doctrine, so I’m not sure.

"...Well, aren’t things like prayers for good fortune also similar concepts to warding off bad luck? I’m just saying roughly."

"Ah, I guess so."

Gu Jun-hyeok hastily tried to cover up his words. I found it a bit odd but didn’t make a big deal of it.

It wasn’t really a suspicious slip of the tongue, and more importantly, I didn’t have time to worry about such minor verbal mistakes.

"Students who have received application receipts, please move!"

The teacher shouted loudly. Along with that, several huge buses lined up and entered in front of the main auditorium.

Teachers loaded students onto the lined-up buses like cargo. Gu Jun-hyeok and I watched this scene in bewilderment.

"Wait, buses suddenly appearing here? The scale is freaking huge."

Gu Jun-hyeok spoke as if amazed. I also nodded in agreement with his words.

"Over there, if you’re examinees, please board quickly!"

"Ah, they’re calling us."

Where exactly were we going to take the exam that required mobilizing buses? Before my questions could deepen, we boarded the bus following the teacher’s guidance.

The faces of the kids who had boarded before us were stiffly hardened with tension. The windows were all covered with curtains, so the outside scenery was barely visible.

"...Ah this. I’m suddenly getting a bit nervous."

Gu Jun-hyeok, sitting in the seat next to me, touched the back of his neck and spoke. His voice was trembling slightly.

Vrooom!

Soon, the bus started with a loud noise.

* * *

I don’t know how much time passed. Right after boarding, the teachers had confiscated our phones, the curtains remained fixed covering the windows, and there was no clock inside the bus, so we couldn’t check the time.

Looking around, some kids were trying to draw blessing circles in the air for practice, some were talking with friends, and the rest were sleeping.

"This is kind of like that, isn’t it? Kidnapping? It feels like being kidnapped?"

Gu Jun-hyeok said. The feeling of being kidnapped. It was quite an apt expression.

"Why did they cover all the windows...? It’s stuffy."

"Maybe we’re going to one of those places? What was it, Area 51? A civilian access restricted zone, something like that."

"They’re taking us there just for a re-election exam? Does Florence have money to spare?"

"Looking at what they do, it seems like they do have money to spare. Or not!"

Gu Jun-hyeok spoke sarcastically and leaned his chair back. As Gu Jun-hyeok’s seat became wider, the seats of the kids sitting behind became narrower.

"...Ah, what the."

Voices of complaint flowed from the back seat, but Gu Jun-hyeok didn’t care at all. He just lay back in his chair, staring blankly at the bus ceiling and opening his mouth.

"Hey, what holy items did you bring?"

"Well."

It was a question I had no reason to answer, so I glossed over it appropriately. When I didn’t even know what the exam subjects would be, telling him what holy items I brought would be tantamount to suicide. It was better to hide as much as possible, and even if a situation came where I had no choice but to speak, it would be better to lie appropriately.

"Bastard, look at you not talking. Are you being competitive with me now because we’re competitors?"

"What competitors? Why do you keep having a competitive mindset with me?"

"Hey! Stop joking around. Honestly, you’re also thinking of me as a competitor, aren’t you?"

Gu Jun-hyeok spoke while looking beyond the invisible window. His voice was quite serious.

It was true that I would be competing with Gu Jun-hyeok once the exam started. However, I really didn’t think of Gu Jun-hyeok as a competitor.

"..."

I turned my head to look at her sitting in the back seat. She, who was completely white from her hair to her skin, was glaring at empty space with a blank face as if she wasn’t nervous at all.

Holy Name of Purity, Seong Ha-yeon.

Although they weren’t on the same bus, Yeo Min-seo and Han Su-ryeon, who have the Holy Names of Kindness and Temperance respectively, had also applied for this exam.

Seong Ha-yeon, Yeo Min-seo, Han Su-ryeon. I’m sorry to say this to Gu Jun-hyeok, but compared to these three, he couldn’t even be considered in the competitor category.

If any unexpected variables occurred in this exam, it would be caused by those three, not Gu Jun-hyeok.

"When will we arrive...? It’s getting boring."

"Could you please put your chair up?"

"It would be better if they at least told us the time."

"Um, guys..."

"Right. What’s with confiscating phones? It’s ridiculous."

"..."

During the conversation, I kept hearing strange sounds from the back seat, but the voice was too small to hear clearly.

The bus continued speeding. We just stared at the grid pattern of the curtains covering the windows, not knowing how much time was left until arrival.

* * *

Eventually the bus stopped, and we got off following the teachers’ guidance.

I stepped on the ground and took a deep breath. The first thing I smelled was the forest scent, and next was the scent of fog. The air was a bit thin, making breathing difficult.

The place we arrived at was none other than a mountaintop. All the students, including me and Gu Jun-hyeok, looked around with bewildered expressions.

"Welcome, everyone. I am Noah, the supervisor of this Charity Holy Name re-election exam and the general manager of the ’Ark.’ Ah, of course that’s not my real name. My baptismal name is Noah. Actually, my surname really is No. Hahahaha.... Ah, wasn’t that funny?"

At that moment, a man laughed heartily while introducing himself.

His name, or rather baptismal name, was Noah. He wore a white shirt and black slacks, with a long robe reaching his ankles over them. The robe was a refreshing blue color as if it contained the sea.

"Well anyway! You must all be confused. Why did we suddenly bring you to a mountaintop for a re-election exam! There must definitely be some of you thinking that. Naturally, the place where you’ll take the exam is not here!"

[Too much talking. He’s exactly the type I hate most.]

Legba clicked his tongue and spoke while listening. Come to think of it, this person called Noah really talked a lot. He seemed to talk even more than Baron Samedi or Sobo.

"The place where you’ll take the exam is right behind me! This ark!"

Noah pointed behind himself with exaggerated gestures. It should have been a moment for applause, but unfortunately, not a single person was clapping.

The reason was simple. There was nothing in the direction Noah was pointing.

Noah was pointing at empty air, babbling about exams and arks.

"...Is he crazy?"

Someone said. Because it was heard in the silence, it sounded more exaggerated than it actually was. Noah’s face crumpled slightly upon hearing this.

"Crazy? That’s quite harsh! There really is an ark behind me! Only good people can see it, so perhaps you can’t see it?"

Noah spoke noisily while waving his hands and feet around.

I was definitely thinking he must be crazy, when Noah emitted divine power and drew a blessing circle. It was a type of blessing circle I had never seen before.

Hoooooo!

Light flowing from the blessing circle enveloped the empty air. At that moment, a ship’s horn sounded loudly, and something appeared in the previously empty air.

It was a ship made of wood. A ship so huge and magnificent that it couldn’t be contained in a single glance. The moment I saw it, I unconsciously thought of the word ’ark.’

"Now, can you see it?"

Noah spoke triumphantly. The children were staring at the suddenly appeared ark with blank eyes, their mouths agape in amazement.

Gu Jun-hyeok was looking up and down at the ark with sparkling eyes, his lips rounded in an ’o’ shape.

"I feel really good seeing you all surprised. Hahaha! Anyway, you will take the exam inside this ’ark.’ Ah, just in case, let me add! This is an ark, and my baptismal name managing this ark is Noah, but this is not ’Noah’s Ark’!"

Noah continued his explanation. This was an ark, but it wasn’t the ’real Noah’s Ark’ built by the prophet Noah recorded in the scriptures.

It was a type of holy item designed by former Cardinal Saint Judas, a master of holy item creation and a scholar of divine material science and divine dynamics, in imitation of the ’real Noah’s Ark’... that kind of story.

When the name Saint Judas was mentioned, the students’ gazes momentarily turned toward Seong Ha-yeon. However, I didn’t even glance at her.

I was displeased that the name Saint Judas kept echoing in my ears so frequently. The more I didn’t want to hear a name, the more vividly it seemed to be etched in my mind and linger longer in my ears.

"Well, anyway. Since seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times, it would be faster to go in and experience it directly. Come on, everyone, let’s go in."

Noah guided us. About a hundred students followed Noah in a line into the ark. The ark’s entrance was wide to match its overwhelming size. Thanks to that, there was no particular chaos.

Following the crowd, I entered Noah’s ark. At the entrance of the ark was a security checkpoint like you’d see at an airport.

"Yes, you pass. Next!"

A man who appeared to be an ark staff member said. The children showed their holy items to the man, then passed through the security checkpoint to finally enter the ark.

Soon it was my turn. I showed my holy items to the staff member and passed through the security checkpoint when.

Beeeep!

A sharp sound rang out from the security checkpoint.

"Huh? Do you have any holy items you didn’t declare?"

"...No? I don’t have any."

"Eh, that can’t be right. Wait a moment!"

The staff member took out a metal detector and held it up to my body.

Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep.

The detector, which had shown no reaction at first, made noise the moment it passed my fingertips.

"Ah. Is this because of the ring?"

"..."

The staff member said. I kept my mouth shut. Cold sweat flowed.

If it was impossible to bring the ring into the ark, my plan would be ruined from the start.

"Student, is this perhaps a couple ring? Rings are okay but couple ring entry isn’t allowed!"

"...What? No, it’s not. It’s not a couple ring."

"Actually I was joking, you can enter with the ring on! This happens sometimes. Well, I can see it’s not a holy item. Hahaha. Anyway, you pass!"

The staff member showed a good-natured smile. Fortunately, the ring seemed to be an allowed item.

I could see kids behind me whispering about me, but I just ignored it and quickly passed through the security checkpoint.

After various twists and turns, I passed the security checkpoint and finally entered Noah’s ark.

The examinees following behind me also all passed through the security checkpoint, and when all examinees had finally entered the ark.

"Ta-da! This is the ark!"

Noah, who was in the center of the ark, spread both arms wide and spoke proudly.

I looked around, examining the scenery of the ark. It was surprisingly empty. Really empty.

How exactly were we supposed to take an exam in a place like this?

Just as I was starting to get annoyed by the continuing questions.

"Well then, I hope you all do your best on the exam!"

Snap!

With the sound of fingers snapping, blackout.

Thick darkness covered my vision. I couldn’t see even an inch ahead. It was such deep darkness that I couldn’t dare take a step carelessly.

Students startled by the sudden darkness made noise. Screams, shouts, groans, sighs.

The sounds tangled and clumped together, floating around me like fog, then soon disappeared.

What remained was vast darkness, silence.

[Saint Judas, that wicked bastard...]

Legba’s muttering pierced through the silence and echoed in my head. It was a mutter whose meaning I couldn’t understand.

Snap!

At that moment, the same sound that had just been heard rang out.

The thick darkness covering my vision soon lifted, and light gradually began to seep in. It was dazzling. I looked around with squinting eyes.

The empty scenery I had seen when first entering the ark was nowhere to be found. I was now standing on a meadow.

The ground was full of short grass and fresh flowers, with trees scattered sparsely in the distance. Even farther away was a mountain so high that I didn’t dare look up at it.

The sky was clear and blue, with appropriately sized and shaped clouds flowing at an appropriate speed. The sunlight was warm.

It was as if I had come to the natural, untouched Earth before civilization developed.

While I felt comfort in the absence of civilization, I simultaneously felt anxiety. I still couldn’t grasp what had happened to me.

Thud.

At that moment, something fell in front of my eyes. It was a note.

I unfolded the note. I felt like I had to unfold it. As if someone had commanded me to ’unfold the note.’

[Examinee Number 041666 - Charity Class Do Seon-woo]

The theme of the first gateway is ’Ark’!

Adonai is angry. Rain pours from the sky. Fierce rain that would submerge all creation and more. Before being submerged by that rain, you must board the ark as quickly as possible!

Evaluation criteria: 1. How quickly did you board the ark? / 2. [Undisclosed condition]

The time limit is 2 hours. If you exceed the limit, you will be immediately eliminated and expelled from the ark!

Examinees who pass the first gateway will be given the opportunity to take the second gateway!

Good luck.

Everything happened so suddenly that it was hard to understand the contents of the note. Unfortunately, the situation didn’t give me time to understand.

Thud, thud, patter.

Whoooosh!

As if signaling the start, a few raindrops fell pitter-patter, then soon thick streams of rain like bamboo poles began pouring down like a waterfall. The clear, sunny sky was now thick with dark clouds.

Looking around, I could see other examinees like me running toward the mountain through the rain in the distance. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

And so, the exam began far too suddenly.